Parent Resources for August 19th Sherith Gathering

By: RSF Marriage & Family Team

Dear RSF parents,

On August 19th, we are having our morning gathering at Congregation Sherith Israel. As this is not our normal meeting space, we will need to make some significant changes to our normal Sunday morning kids ministry experience. We will be limiting our children’s program to those between 6 months and 7 years old, split into 3 different groups. Check-in will be available at the main lobby entrance of the building. All children who are eight years old and up will have the opportunity to be in the main gathering with their families, and we believe this opens up a door for them to experience God in a new way!

We have several hopes and prayers leading up to this time:

Our children will get a chance to personally participate in the beauty and life of the church gathered in worship and study.

The larger church will welcome and rejoice over those children present during the gathering.

Each person will encounter God in a unique and personal way.

This will be an enjoyable, life-giving time for everyone.

If your child will be joining the main gathering, please prepare them well to participate. For some children, it may be helpful to bring a pad of paper or something to hold onto during the time. We will provide some teaching notes to help children follow along and fill in the blanks for some key concepts and Bible passages. Giving kids a good framework for why the church meets together in this manner on Sundays might also be helpful. Simple language for kids is, “We gather to learn about God and spend time with Him and others who love Him.”

The congregation will take communion together, so we suggest having a plan for how you want to navigate that with your children if they have never taken communion before. It is also a great opportunity to talk over the importance and meaning of the Eucharist. Here are a few resources to aid this conversation: